Dispenser for the discharge of bulk material from gas-tight containers



May 26, 1964 v. VARDANEGA 3,134,511

DISPENSER FOR THE DISCHARGE OF BULK MATERI L FROM GAS-TIGHT CONTAINERSFiled Aug. 1, 196].

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 'IIIIIIZIIAI'I/ Q Q INVENTOR.

AGENT VIR GILIO VARDANEGA May 26, 1964 v. VARDANEGA 3,134,511

DISPENSER FOR THE DISCHARGE OF BULK MATERIAL FROM GAS-TIGHT CONTAINERSFiled Aug. 1, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 V/RG/LIO VARDANE GA INVENTOR.

35 BY (w AGENT United States Patent 3,134,511 FOP. THE DESCHARGA. 0FBULK MATERIAL F3031 GAS-TZGEH CGNTAINERS Virgilio Vardanega, Inverigo,Como, ltaly, assignor to LCPJVI. lndustrie t'lhimiehe ?orto l iargheraS.p.A., Milan, ltaly, a corporation of Italy Filed Aug. 1, 1961, Ser.No. 128,457 (Ziairns priority, application ltaly Aug. 12, 196i) Claims.(Cl. 222-167) This invention refers to a gas-tight dispersing device,particularly useful in the discharge of noncoherent solid or bulkmaterials, either residual or produced in the course of chemicalprocesses carried out within containers continuously rotating about anearly horizontal axis, from such containers under conditions wherebythe escape of gases must be avoided.

it is known that in a great number of such chemical processes, thestages of extraction and discharge, as well as the supply, stages, musttake place while the container is in motion, and inside which, gas,vapour, or other substances are developed. The known devices used tocarry out these stages of extraction and discharge from such container,while at the same time preventing the escape of gases, are generallyincorporated within the interior of the rotating container and reduceits useful capacity, limiting sometimes, even the possibility of itsoperation.

Further inconveniences of such known devices, due to their internallocation within the container, are the difficulty of upkeep, and controlof the component members, and their high susceptibility to corrosion.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a devicewhich allows extraction of nonadherent solid materials such as powder,granules or small discrete particles contained in a container rotatingaround a substantially horizontal axis, while this container is inmotion, and without any escape of the gas contained within thecontainer, the device should be of simple construction, low cost, highefliciency and reliability, and able to avoid the disadvantages of knowndevices.

A further object of the invention is to allow ready application of theinventive devices to existing rotating containers.

A particular object of the present invention is to make the normaloperations of upkeep and checking easier by providing a more accessibledispersing device.

A further object is to diminish the effects of corrosion on its members.

Another object is to achieve the use of maximum capacity of thecontainer on which it is mounted, and to allow the inventive device tobe adapted to almost all types, forms and capacities of receptaclerequired for various needs, providing that they rotate aboutsubstantially horizontal axes, or axes which are slightly inclined.

All these and other objects which will ensue from the followingdescription are attained by the present invention, which ischaracterised in that it is composed of one or more extraction ducts,fixed externally to the rotating container adjacent at least one of itsends and connected to the interior of the container by one or moresubstantially cylindrical chambers externally fixed on said container,each of said chambers containing a discharging means able to collect thematerial conveyed thereto through the extraction ducts and to dischargeit to the exterior, while at the same time preventing the escape of 'icethe gases by means of a plugging effect caused by the material itself,or by suitably shaped parts of said discharging means. In a preferredembodiment of the invention, a single collecting chamber for thematerial is provided, which is coaxial with the rotation container andhas all the extracting ducts converging towards said chamber, each ofsaid ducts being composed of two duct parts forming an elbow. One ofthese duct parts is arranged radially on the external part of the bottomof the container and the other duct part is bent so as to terminate atthe end of the envelope wall of the container, wherein openings areprovided permitting the passage of the material from the container tothe duct.

The essential characteristic of the extracting ducts is that theexternal envelope wall of the receptacle communicates with aduct-forming inclined wall which extends from the wall forwardly of thisend of the container and, as described, is bent towards the center ofthe container at the end projecting beyond the end wall of the containeror drum. The inclination of the inclinedwall is sur'hcient to allow thematerial, which falls onto it, to slide down when the duct is in itslowest position.

In another preferred embodiment, instead of providing a separateinclined wall, the enveloping wall of the container is shaped at leastat one of its end parts, as a conic surface if the recipient iscylindrical, or as a pyrimidal surface if it is prismatic, this surfacereplacing the first duct part of the described extraction ducts, whichare thus confined to the second duct part converging towards thecollecting chamber.

The communication between these ducts and the in terior of the containeroccurs, in ttt's case, through openings provided in the bottom of thecontainer instead of in the external envelope.

Further advantages and characteristics of the invention will be morefully apparent from the description which follows and which refers tothe accompanying drawing of preferred embodiments of the invention.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 represents the front view of the apparatus, whereof only one halfis shown, the other half being symmetrical and omitted.

FIG. 2 represents a longitudinal section of the same apparatus takenalong line llli of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 represents a detail of a modified embodiment of the sameinvention, showing the extraction ducts.

FIG. 4 shows another discharge device for the dis penser.

With reference t FIGS. 1 and 2, the device is provided with a pluralityof extraction ducts l which in the shown embodiment are three in number,the third duct being symmetrical and for this reason it is omitted fromthe drawing.

These extraction ducts are each comprised of two duct parts forming anelbow between each other. The first duct part has an inclined wall 4tightly fixed at 24 on the external enveloping wall 3 of the container2, slightly rearwardly from the right or forward end (FIG. 2) of theenveloping wall so that a stretch 25 is left between the right end ofthe container 2 and the point 24, where the inclined wall 4- is fixed,e.g. by weldin or in any other way, on the enveloping wall 3. The part25 is provided with holes 5 allowing communication between the containerinterior and ducts 1. The holes 5 are provided only between lateralwalls 29, 30 of each duct 1. The

second duct part 26 is formed of a wall 27 extending substantiallyparallel to the forward wall 28 of the container 2 and spaced therefromso as to form therebetween a passageof the desired width. It may thus beseen that the ducts 1 are formed of the two external walls 4 and 27 onthe one side, whereas on the other side the ducts 1 are defined by thepart 25 of the enveloping wall 3 and by part of the end wall 28 of thecontainer. Laterally the ducts 1 are defined by the lateral walls 29 and30, which too are tightly fixed by welding, on the respective parts ofthe enveloping wall 3 arid the end wall 28. It is obvious that insteadof using the wall parts of the container 2 for defining the ducts 1, itis possible to provide appropriate separate walls for the ducts 1,adjacent the Walls of the container 2.

It will be seen that the inclined Wall 4 extends to the right beyond theplane defined by the bottom wall 28, thus allowing the duct wall 27 toprovide the duct passage 26. The duct part 26 extends substantiallyradially with respect to the axis of container 2 and at a distance fromthis axis. The duct 26 communicates with a cylindrical collectingchamber or hub 8, coaxial with the axis of the container 2 and definedpartially by the annular connecting walls 8, rigidly and tightly fixedon the lateral walls 29, 30 of the ducts 1. The chamber 8 is furtherdefined by a boss-like conformation 31 of the front-end wall 28 thechamber having an open end 32 and a closed end 33. Boss 31 is coaxialwith container 2. Within the chamber 8 a fixed cylindrical body orsleeve 9 is slidably arranged allowing container 2 together with ducts 1and boss 31 to rotate about the fixed sleeve 9. Sleeve 9 extendsoutwardly beyond the wall 27 of ducts 1 and is an upper inlet opening 10and a lower outlet opening 11. Openings 10 and 11 are axially displacedfrom one another and whereas opening 10 is surrounded by the ducts 1,opening 11 is arranged externally both of the ducts 1 and of thecontainer 2. Within sleeve 9 a double-headed piston 12 is slidablyarranged and has its piston head 12 axially spaced from its piston head12 between the two piston heads there is provided small diameter part34. Part 34 may be made also in the form of a rod rigidly connecting thetwo piston heads.

Piston 12 is connected to a motor driven crank mechanism 13,14, 15imparting at regular intervals reciprocating motion to piston 12.

The distance between the two piston heads 12 and 12 defined by part 34is equal, or less than the axial dimension of opening 10, whereas thelength of the piston heads is at least equal to or the said axialdimension of opening 10. As may be seen in FIG. 1, inlet 10 opens onlyupwardly and extends over an angle of less than 180. 7

Container 2 is further provided with input feeding means 100 and knownmeans 101 allowing the rotation thereof about its axis, which arediagrammatically illustrated and which need no detailed description. 7

In FIG. 3 an embodiment is shown in which the inclined wall of ducts 1,is provided by a conical or pyramidal conformation 6 of thecorresponding end of container 2. In this way the inclined part of ducts1 may be dispensed with and the ducts 1 have only the substantiallyradialpart 35. In this case the holes 7 are provided in the bottom wallof the container. Otherwise thisembodiment is equivalent to thepreviously described one.

In FIG. 1, 16 indicates a joint of the type adapted to transmit a rotarymotion to members having slightly olfset parallel axis of rotation. Thisjoint 16 connects the sleeve 9'to a fixed support 17 so that sleeve 9,while remaining fixed with respect to angular displacement is allowed tomake slight displacements due to the rotation of container 2 whose axisof rotation is frequently irregular.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the

fluid-tight discharging means instead of the doubleheaded piston andslotted sleeve, may, as indicated in FIG. 4, comprise an Archimedeanscrew 50 or an equivalent device, which conveys the material fromchamber 8 to a stationary container in communication with the outside,through a overflow duct 51 having an overflow level higher than thelevel of the Archimedean screw so that the latter is always full of theconveyed material whereby this material exerts a plugging actionpreventing the escape of gases. In operation, the granular material fromthe container 2 passes by gravity through holes 25 in the duct 4 andslides towards the apex of the elbow formed by duct 1.

When container 2 is rotated, the ducts 1 rotate integrally therewith andthe granular material is brought together with the corresponding duct 1from the lowermost position into the uppermost position and then fallsthrough opening 10 in the collecting chamber 8, provided that piston 12is shifted toward its left end position, so that opening 10 faces thereduced diameter part 34 of piston 12 and the granular material fills upthe space between piston head 12 and piston head 12 When piston 12 isshifted towards the right, the granular material between the two pistonheads is shifted towards the opening 11 and is discharged therefrom,while at the same time piston head 12, closes the opening 10 so that nogases may escape from the ducts and container 2, during the discharge ofthe material.

Although some of the preferred embodiments of the invention have beenherein described, various modifications and substitutions may beetfected without departing from the underlying inventive concept. It istherefore not intended to be limited to the specific disclosurecontained therein and hereby the right is reserved to all suchmodifications and substitutions as properly come within the scope of theappended claims.

I claim:

1. A device for removing noncoherent solid material, comprising a drumrotatable about a substantially horizontal axis, a stationarycylindrical hollow body coaxial with said drum at one end thereof andforming conduit means; a tubular hub coaxially surrounding said body androtatable relatively thereto while slidably en gaging said body; atleast one duct radially extending from said hub and communicating withthe interior thereof and secured to said drum for joint rotationtherewith, said drum being formed with at least one passagecommunicating with said duct at one extremity thereof remote from saidhub, said body being provided with an inlet opening in an upper portionthereof alignable with said duct in an upright position of the latterand communicating with said conduit means, and an outlet openingcommunicating with said conduit means axially spaced from said inletopening; and conveying means displaceably mounted in said conduit meansfor shifting said material from said inlet opening to said outletopening upon the gravity flow of said material through said passage intosaid duct in a downwardly oriented position of the latter and theentrainment of said material by said duct into its upwardly orientedposition'wherein said material enters said body through said passageWhile blocking said conduit means to prevent passage of gasestherethrough.

2. A device for removing noncoherent solid material, comprising a drumrotatable about a substantially horizontal axis, astationary'cylindrical hollow body coaxial with said drum at one endthereof and forming conduit means; a tubular hub coaxially surroundingsaid body and rotatable relatively thereto while slidably engaging saidbody; at least one duct radially extending from said hub andcommunicating with the interior thereof and secured to said drum forjoint rotation therein, said drum being formed with at least one passagecommunicating with said duct at one extremity thereof remote from saidhub, said body being provided with an inlet opening in an upper portionthereof alignable with said duct in an upright position of the latter,and communicating with said conduit means, and an outlet openingcommunicating with said conduit means axially spaced from said inletopening; conveying means displaceably mounted in said conduit means forshifting said material from said inlet opening to said outlet openingupon the gravity flow of said material through said passage into saidduct in a downwardly oriented position of the latter and the entrainmentof said material by said duct into its upwardly oriented positionwherein said material enters said body through said passage whileblocking said conduit means to prevent passage of gases therethrough;and another radially extending duct communicating with said hub and saiddrum and angularly spaced from the first-mentioned duct, said bodyhaving only a single inlet opening successively alignable with saidducts upon rotation of said drum, said hub slidably engaging said body,said body having an arcuate portion in the region of said inlet openingfor blocking said ducts at said hub upon rotation thereof out ofalignment with the inlet opening of said body.

3. An extraction device for discharging noncoherent solid materialcomprising gas-tight containers rotating about a substantiallyhorizontal axis, at least one fixed cylindrical tubular body axiallyaligned with said container and disposed exteriorly thereof and formingconduit means, at least one sleeve member slidably engaging androtatable about an annular zone of said body, at least one duct rigidwith said sleeve member and extending radially therefrom, said ductbeing disposed wholly externally thereof and being rotatable therewithWhile having an end remote from said sleeve member connected with saidcontainer, the other end of said duct communicating with the interior ofsaid sleeve member, said body being provided with an inlet opening in anupper part of said annular zone and communicating with said conduitmeans and an outlet opening axially spaced from said inlet openingcommunicating with said conduit means, said container being providedwith passage means connecting the interior of said container with saidduct at said end remote from said sleeve member for permitting thepassage of said material by gravity from the interior of said containerthrough said passage means in said remote end of said duct when it is ina lower position of said duct and through said sleeve member and inletopening when said duct is in an upper position, and means for conveyingsaid material through said conduit means from said inlet opening to saidoutlet opening while blocking said conduit means to prevent passage ofgases therethrough.

4. An extraction device for discharging noncoherent solid material,comprising gas-tight containers rotating about a substantiallyhorizontal axis, at least one fixed cylindrical tubular body axiallyaligned with said container and disposed exteriorly thereof and formingconduit means, at least one sleeve member slidably engaging androtatable about an annular zone of said body, at least one duct rigidwith said sleeve member and extending radially therefrom, said ductbeing disposed wholly externally thereof and being rotatable therewithwhile having an end remote from said sleeve member connected with saidcontainer, the other end of said duct communicating with the interior ofsaid sleeve member, said body being provided with an inlet opening in anupper part of said annular zone and communicating with said conduitmeans, and an outlet opening axially spaced from said inlet openingcommunicating with said conduit means, said container being providedwith passage means connecting the interior of said container with saidduct at said end remote from said sleeve member for permitting thepassage of said material by gravity from the interior of said containerthrough said passage means in said remote end of said duct when it is ina lower position of said duct and through said sleeve member and inletopening when said duct is in an upper position, and means for conveyingsaid material through said conduit means from said inlet opening to saidoutlet opening while blockingsaid conduit means to prevent passage ofgases therethrough, said duct being formed with an elbow at said remoteend radially outwardly of said container, said duct having a wallinclined outwardly away from said container at said elbow.

5. An extraction device for discharging noncoherent solid material,comprising gas-tight containers rotating about a substantiallyhorizontal axis, at least one fixed cylindrical tubular body axiallyaligned with said container and disposed exteriorly thereof and formingconduit means, at least one sleeve member slidably engaging androtatable about an annular zone of said body, at least one duct rigidwith said sleeve member and extending radially therefrom, said ductbeing disposed wholly externally thereof and being rotatable therewithWhile having an end remote from said sleeve member connected with saidcontainer, the other end of said duct communicating with the interior ofsaid sleeve member, said body being provided -with an inlet opening inan upper part of said annular zone and communicating with said conduitmeans and an outlet opening axially spaced from said inlet openingcommunicating with said conduit means, said container being providedwith passage means connecting the interior of said container with saidduct at said end remote from said sleeve member for permitting thepassage of said material by gravity from the interior of said containerthrough said passage means in said remote end of said duct when it is ina lower position of said duct and through said sleeve member and inletopening when said duct is in an upper position, and meansfor conveyingsaid material through said conduit means from said inlet opening to saidoutlet opening while blocking said conduit means to prevent passage ofgases therethrough, said duct being formed with an elbow at said remoteend radially outwardly of said container, said duct having a wallinclined outwardly away from said container at said elbow, said meansfor conveying said material from said inlet opening to said outletopening comprising a piston slidably mounted in said body and having twoaxially spaced heads defining between them an annular gap alternatelyalignable with said openings, at least one of said heads blocking saidinlet opening upon alignment of said gap with said outlet opening.

6-. An extraction device for discharging non-coherent solid material,comprising gas-tight containers rotating about a substantiallyhorizontal axis, at least one fixed cylindrical tubular bodyaxiallyaligned with said container and disposed exteriorly thereof and formingconduit means, at least one sleeve member slidably engaging androtatable about an annular zone of said body, at

F least one duct rigid with said sleeve member and extending nadiallytherefrom, said duct being disposed wholly externally thereof and beingrotatable therewith while having an end remote from said sleeve memberconnected with said container, the other end of said duct communicatingwith the interior of said sleeve member, said body being provided withan inlet opening in an upper part of said annular zone and communicatingwith said conduit means and an outlet opening axially spaced from saidinlet opening communicating with said conduit means, said containerbeing provided with passage means connecting the interior of saidcontainer with said duct at said end remote from said sleeve member forpermitting the passage of said material by gravity from the interior ofsaid container through said passage means in said remote end of saidduct when it is in a lower position of said duct and through said sleevemember and inlet opening when said duct is in an upper position, andmeans for conveying said material through said conduit means from saidinlet opening to said outlet opening while blocking said conduit meansto prevent passage of gases therethrough, said duct being formed with anelbow at said remote end radially outwardly of said container, said ducthaving a Wall inclined outwardly away from said container at said elbow,said means for conveying said material from said inlet opening to saidoutlet opening comprising an Archimedean screw disposed Within said bodyand rotatable about said axis, said outlet opening terminating abovesaid inlet opening.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS WunschOct. 10, 1905 Gray Dec. 3, 1918 Gustafson June 30, 1953 Seymour Dec. 13,1955 FOREIGN PATENTS Germany Sept. 8, 1917

1. A DEVICE FOR REMOVING NONCOHERENT SOLID MATERIAL, COMPRISING A DRUMROTATABLE ABOUT A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL AXIS, A STATIONARYCYLINDRICAL HOLLOW BODY COAXIAL WITH SAID DRUM AT ONE END THEREOF ANDFORMING CONDUIT MEANS; A TUBULAR HUB COAXIALLY SURROUNDING SAID BODY ANDROTATABLE RELATIVELY THERETO WHILE SLIDABLY ENGAGING SAID BODY; AT LEASTONE DUCT RADIALLY EXTENDING FROM SAID HUB AND COMMUNICATING WITH THEINTERIOR THEREOF AND SECURED TO SAID DRUM FOR JOINT ROTATION THEREWITH,SAID DRUM BEING FORMED WITH AT LEAST ONE PASSAGE COMMUNICATING WITH SAIDDUCT AT ONE EXTREMITY THEREOF REMOTE FROM SAID HUB, SAID BODY BEINGPROVIDED WITH AN INLET OPENING IN AN UPPER PORTION THEREOF ALIGNABLEWITH SAID DUCT IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION OF THE LATTER AND COMMUNICATINGWITH SAID CONDUIT MEANS, AND AN OUTLET OPENING COMMUNICATING WITH SAIDCONDUIT MEANS AXIALLY SPACED FROM SAID INLET OPENING; AND CONVEYINGMEANS DISPLACEABLY MOUNTED IN SAID CONDUIT MEANS FOR SHIFTING SAIDMATERIAL FROM SAID INLET OPENING TO SAID OUTLET OPENING UPON THE GRAVITYFLOW OF SAID MATERIAL THROUGH SAID PASSAGE INTO SAID DUCT IN ADOWNWARDLY ORIENTED POSITION OF THE LATTER AND THE ENTRAINMENT OF SAIDMATERIAL BY SAID DUCT INTO ITS UPWARDLY ORIENTED POSITION WHEREIN SAIDMATERIAL ENTERS SAID BODY THROUGH SAID PASSAGE WHILE BLOCKING SAIDCONDUIT MEANS TO PREVENT PASSAGE OF GASES THERETHROUGH.